Method of and apparatus for electro-erosive machining

Abstract

An electro-erosion apparatus for the machining of workpieces with a work ruble for the resting thereon of a workpiece, a first machining head, at last two degree of from of the movement of the apparatus in and/or parallel to the principal working place of the workpiece (X/Y-plane) as well as at least one additional degree of from of the movement perpendicular to the principle working place (Z-axis), which has at least one additional machining head which is fastened on the first machining head (FIG. 4 ).

We claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus for electro-erosive machining of a workpiece, comprising a machine table for the placing thereon of a workpiece;   a first main machining head having a perpendicular axis, the apparatus having at least two degrees of freedom of movement in and/or parallel to a principal working plane of the workpiece, and at least one additional degree of freedom of movement perpendicular to the principal working plane; and   at least one additional machining head   which is fastened to the first machining head so as to be movably supported on the first machining head and swingable around the perpendicular axis of the first machining head; and   wherein the at least one additional machining head is independently vertically displaceable.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional machining head has at least one degree of freedom of movement of its own. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional machining head has a degree of freedom of rotation of its own. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional machining head is arranged on a sleeve of the first machining head. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising drive means for swinging the at least one additional machining head. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a mechanical or pneumatic positioning clamp for locking the at least one additional machining head. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein means are provided for automatically controlling the second machining head. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controlling means is constructed so as to permit a position of the workpiece to be machined to be input directly in coordinate form. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controlling means, depending on the places of the workpiece to be machined, automatically switches between the machining heads. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 1, having means for an electro-erosion sinker machine, wherein the first machining head has a sleeve with a clamping device for a counterbore electrode, and, the at least one additional machining head has a sleeve with a clamping device for a counterbore electrode.   
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 10, having a C-frame construction with at least one of a compound table and an upper carriage. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 10, having a measurement sensor in the clamping system of the at least one additional machining head for automatic measurement of the position of the workpiece on a machining surface. 
     
     
       13. A method of machining workpieces by electro-erosion, comprising the steps of: machining a workpiece on a machining surface of a machine table with a first machining head at least in two directions of movement in and/or parallel to a principal working plane of the workpiece and in at least one other direction perpendicular to the principal working plane, and, further   machining with at least one additional machining head which is configured revolves about an axis extending through the first machining head.   
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13, comprising a further step of dividing the machining surface into a central machining surface and several outer machining surfaces. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 13, including assigning a reference point to each machining surface,   moving the at least one additional machining head upon an occurrence of work coordinates outside the central machining surface to a reference point of a corresponding machining surface, and   effecting control of the at least one additional machining head by using control means of the first machining head, with consideration of the displacement of the coordinate origin to the corresponding reference point.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 13 including automatically importance rotary movement to a C-axis of the at least one additional machining head in order to equalize swinging around the C-axis. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 13 having an automatic correction of the swing-axis position X, Y, Z by prestored electronic machine correction parameters. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 13, including using a measurement sensor in the clamping system of the at least one additional machining head for automatically measuring of the workpiece on the machining surface.